Ten thousand meters above the Atlantic Ocean.
Three black-painted supersonic heavy stealth transports pierced the thick clouds, their engines spewing eerie blue plasma exhaust as they raced toward Eastern European airspace at several times the speed of sound.
Inside the central aircraft, Alexander Pierce had changed out of his expensive tailored suit and into a jet-black tactical windbreaker. Standing at the front of the cabin, he swept his gaze over its interior, waves of heat rising in his chest. He had not taken to the field himself in years, but this time, not only did he have overwhelming military support,
What drove him even more was that his ideals finally had a path to realization. After Lucian halted Project Insight, he had reflected on how little he truly knew about this world. Even if Lucian had never appeared and Project Insight had been perfected, someone like those Eternals from before might well have emerged, while Hydra's military strength rested on nothing more than the still-immature Centipede Serum and Winter Soldier Program. But now, everything was different.
Over a hundred fully armed Vought Security agents sat inside the spacious cabin.
Their expressions were impassive, their muscle fibers taut as steel beneath their black special-operations tactical uniforms. Through the modifications wrought by Compound V, the strength, speed, endurance, and neural responses of every person in the cabin had been forcibly elevated to the limits of humanity.
Taken together, these aircraft carried the equivalent of several hundred "Captain Americas," all utterly obedient to orders and discipline.
The Super Soldier dream Hydra had once pursued so desperately now sat casually before his eyes. He had far more resources for this battle than he could ever have asked for.
"Hey, old Pierce."
Sitting diagonally across from him with his legs crossed, Pietro yawned. "That Baron